Stocking and blank for same



March 3, 1953 w. NEBEL 2,629,997

STOCKING ND BLANK FOR SAME Filed Sept. 17, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A from/E Y March 3, 1953 W. NEBEL 2,629,997

STOCKING AND BLANK FOR SAME Filed Sept. 17. 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 3, 1953 w. NEBEL 2,629,997

STOCKING AND BLANK FOR SAME Filed Sept. 17. 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 W/LL/A M A/'EbeL IN VEN TOR.

ATmm/Ew Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES .PATENT OFFICE STOCKING AND BLANK FUR SAME William Nebel, Charlotte, N. C.

Application September 17, 1949, Serial No. 116,388

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a new and improved full-fashioned stocking and method of making the same, and b-roadly embraces the knitting of the heel portions of a stocking blank and having the widening marks disposed in a, single wale which is parallel to the longitudinal center of the blank either throughout its length or for a major portion of its length, and, if desired, the widening marks can then be extended in a Wale which is parallel to the selvage edges of the blank.

In conventional full-fashioned knitting, all of the point-s on the narrowing ngers have been employed and if the machine had 31 points in its narrowing lingers, the innermost points would usually be engaged with the 31st Wale from the selvage edge and in widening, the machine would not rack back at all and this would result in a line of widening marks which is parallel to the selvage edge. In one form of the present invention by employing short narrowing lingers the stocking can be produced by having a plurality of widening marks appearing in a single wlale which is parallel to the longitudinal center of the blank until all of the points in the narrowing fingers have been placed in operation, at which time, of course, the widening marks will be extended in a vraie which is parallel to the selvage edge of the blank until the heel portion widenings have been completed.

It has, therefore, been the custom to widen in the heel portions b-y having the widening marks in a Wale which is parallel to the selvage edges of the stocking, and it is an object of this invention to provide a stocking in which the widening marks are disposed in wales which are parallel l.

to the longitudinal center of the blank for at least a portion of the length of the heel portions, and preferably having these widening marks at the point adjacent the edge of the heel portion reinforcings which is remote from the selvage edges of the stocking blank.

IThe main departure shown in this invention is that instead of widening out so many needles and not racking back as has heretofore been the custom the widening process is begun by always racking back to the original Wale in which the first widening mark is disposed. This is made possible by the greater length of the narrowing ngers. Even with machines having wide narrowing ngers, it has been the custom to not rack back, whereas, I always rack back to the original Wale in which the rst narrowing mark appears. It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a stocking made from a blank in which two rows of widening marks in the heel pocket are disposed in common spaced wales which are parallel to the longitudinal center of the stocking for atleast a, maior portion of their length; then, if desired, additional widening marks can be formed in wales extending from the first lines of widening marks which are parallel to the seam of the stocking. This is mlade possible by employing only a portion of the points on the inner or proximate ends of the narrowing fingers when widening is begun, thus leaving reserve points on the outer ends ci the narrowing lingers which are gradually called into operation as the widening progresses.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the heel of my improved stocking showing it on a forni;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a distended blank foot heel portion from which a stocking in Figure l is made;

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the loop structure disposed within the dotted enclosure A in Figure 2;

Figure Il is an elevation similar to Figure l, but showing a slightly modified form of the invention;

Figure 5 is a View of the foot and heel portion of a blank from. which the stocking in Figure 4 is made;

Figures 6 and G-A are enlarged views showing the loop structures disposed substantially within the dotted area E in Figure 5, Figure S-A being an extension from the lower portion of Figure 6.

Referring more specically to the drawings, the numeral I0 indicates a stocking blank, and since both sides of the blank are identical, like reierence characters will apply. The stocking blank is knit from a body yarn M and a reinforcing yarn R. This blank has a reinforced portion or high splice i i along each edge thereof and a heel portion il. It is characterized .by two lines of widening marks I3 all disposed in two spaced wales which are parallel to the longitudinal center of the blank. Now, in conventional knitting all the points or a portion thereof on the presimate ends of the narrowingngers have been used and when a widening operation has been performed, no racking back has been effected, and this has produced lines of widening marks which are parallel to the selvage edges. the present invention, as applied to Figures l to 3, inclusive, narrowing fingers are used having a suicient number of points therein, so that only certain of the innermost points are initially ernployed. The number of points would be determined by the maximum number of widening operations to be carried out in the heel portions. Thus equipped, knitting is carried out through the welt and leg portions of the blank, and when the panel or high splice is reached, as at li, in the present embodiment of the invention, a pre'u determined number of needles, for example, about thirty-two needles take a reinforcing yarn R in the panel. The reinforcing yarn R is knitted into the thirty-two needles of the panel for about sixty-eight courses depending upon the length desired for the panel ii. When the desired point is reached, the course is widened out one needle at each edge, as at 2t, the course being designated at 22. Then, another course 23 is knitted and no widening is carried out. Then another course 24 is knitted and is widened out one needle, yas at 2S, the Widening and narrowing iingers being racked back one needle to bring them to a common Wale in which the widening mark 2li appears. Then course 2d is knitted and no widening is effected. Then course 'i is knitted and widened out one needle and the nan rowing fingers are racked back one needle, thus forming a widening mark 280,. Then course is knitted with no Widening or narrowing, and then course 29 is knitted and is widened out one needle, forming a widening mark 29a, at the same time the widening and narrowing fingers are. racked back one needle, to bring it back to a common Wale. In other words, I widen out one needle on each Widening operation and then rack back one needle.

This operation continues until approximately ninety-six courses have been knitted, providing forty-eight widening marks 29a to 96a, inclusive, in courses 3i) to 95 inclusive, an intermediate portion of the courses and widening marks being omitted in Figure 3 for lack of space. This cornpletes the widening operation for the heel portions, and then any desired number o courses, such as forty-four courses, or sufficient to form the unwidened portion of the heel portions are knitted, and then conventional narrowing, indicated at N, is carried out and the heel portions as well as the foot portion of the blank are completed.

It is thus seen that the line of widening marks Y ior each side of the .blank are kept in two parallel wales which are parallel to the longitudinal center of the blank, which is made possible by having sumcient narrowing and widening points in the narrowing ngers as to allow the lingers to be racked back to common wales upon each widening operation, thus calling into operation additional of the outermost points on the narrowing fingers. For example, the number of loops from needles widened at each widening operation equals the number of needles the points are racked back in each widening operation to thus cause the widening marks to be disposed in common wales, which wales are parallel to the longitudinal center of the stocking and to each other.

In Figures e, 5, 6 and 6-A there is shown a slightly modied form 0f the invention which ,can be made by a conventional full-fashioned knitting machine not having a sufficient number of narrowing points in the narrowing iingers to widen as above described throughout the portion of the heel pocket which is to be widened. Now, in knitting the stocking blank shown in Figure 5, the same operation would be carried out as previously described for Figures 1, 2 and 3 to form a line of widening marks i3d, but since no great reserve of points are disposed outside the selvage edges at the beginning of the widening, it is seen that the heel portion widening will not be iinished when the outermost narrowing points have been put into operation by racking back to the same common Wale which is parallel to the longitudinal center of the blank. Therefore, like reference characters will apply to Figures Li, 5, 6 and S-A as to Figures l, 2 and 3 down to the end of the line of marks i3d, but since it is necessary to have additional widenings, then a line of widening marks Hill is formed by a conventional widening operation, that is, by not racking back but forming the line of widening marks lili) in a Wale which is parallel t0 the selvage edge of the stocking blank which is a conventional form of widening. In this form of the invention the desired number of needles, say, about forty, Would be present in the panel, and there would be any desired number of courses having reinforcing yarn thrown thereinto in the panel or high splice to provide a panel lili of the desired height, and in the present instance this is knitted for about sixty-six courses before beginning widenings for the heel portions. In forming the line of narrowing marks Ita there are knitted about sixty-two courses widening one needle every other course and racking back to the original Wale in which the rst widening mark appears, in the same manner as already described for the structure shown in Figures l, 2 and 3. Since suiicient widening will not have taken place at the point where the outermost points will be put into operation in forming the line of widening marks 53a, then in order to form a suiiicient number of widening marks in line lill), I then knit any desired number of courses, say about forty-six courses, widen ing every other course and Widening one needle in each widening operation with no racking back, thus forming a plurality of widening marks HEB, iii, H2, H3, lili, H5, H5, lil, H3, H9 to |32, inclusive, with an intermediate portion of the narrowing marks between the numerals H9 to |32 being omitted in Figure 6. Then conventional knitting takes place Without widening and narrowing for any number of courses, say about sixty to seventy to complete the heel pocket, and then conventional narrowing takes place.

In Figures 4 to (i-A inclusive, the same method of knitting is carried 0n throughout in both lines of widening marks 53a and lim, namely, that a widening takes place, then a course is knitted without any widening, and then a third course is knitted and widening takes place, and this is carried out throughout as above described.

In Figures 4 to 6-A inclusive, the body yarns and reinforcing yarns are indicated by the same reference characters as above described and all other common matter bears like reference chai acters.

t is thus seen that I have provided a method and means for knitting a stocking blank which has superior advantages over other stocking blanks heretofore knitted in that the lines of widening marks are rdisposed a substantial distance from the selvage edges, preferably adjacent the proximate edges of the reinforced area of the blank or the outermost edges of the reinforced area in a completed stocking, which, along with the ornamentation produced by the reinforcing yarns, produces an ornamental effect as well as a utilitarian effect in avoiding runs which many times start adjacent the widening marks adjacent the selvage edges of the stocking.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being dened in the claims.

I claim:

1. A full-fashioned stocking blank having a reenforced widened upper heel portion disposed along each of the selvage edges thereof, said reen-forced widened upper heel portion being formed from a plurality of courses widened by transferring loops outwardly from two parallel spaced wales to form two rows of widening marks which are also parallel to the longitudinal center line of the blank, the proximate edges of the reenforced heel portions 'being parallel to and closely adjacent said rows of widening marks.

2. A fullfashioned stocking blank having a reenforced widened upper heel portion disposed along each of the selvage edges thereof, said reenforced widened upper heel portions being for-med from a plurality of courses widened by transferring loops outwardly from two spaced lines parallel to the longitudinal center line of the blank, and the lower portions of the widened heel portions being formed from a plurality of courses widened by transferring loops outwardly along two spaced lines which are parallel to the selvage edges of the blank, the proximate edges of the reenforced heel portions being parallel to and closely adjacent to the last named lines.

3. A stocking having a heel pocket, the upper portion of which is formed from a plurali-ty of courses widened by transferring loops outwardly on each side of the stocking from two spaced wales which are disposed at a diverging angle from a vertical line bisecting the heel pocket.

4. A full-fashioned single unit stocking having a heel pocket, the upper portion of which is formed from a plurali-ty of courses widened by transferring loops outwardly 'throughout the upper portion of the heel pocket from a common line on each side of the stocking, which common lines are parallel to the wales of the front middle portion of the stocking.

5. A stocking blank having heel pocket .portions, the upper portions of which are formed from a plurality of courses widened by transferring loops outwardly to form a row of widening marks appearing along two spaced wales which are parallel to the longitudinal center of the blank, the blank having an additional number of courses in the upper widened portion of each heel portion formed Iby transferring loops outwardly from a single Wale in each heel portion, each of which last-named wales is parallel to the salvage edge of the blank.

6. A stocking having a reenforced heel pocket, the upper portion of which is formed from a plurality of courses widened by transferring loops outwardly to form a line of widening marks on each side of the stocking and the two lines of widening marks all being disposed in tw@ parallel wales adjacent the remote edges of the reeniforced heel pocket.

WILLIAM NEBEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,154,602 Berger Apr. 18, 1939 2,226,342 Hoppner Dec. 24, 1940 2,340,266 Goodman Jan.. 25, 1944 2,357,852 Schoenster Sept. 12, 1944 2,405,331 Sanderson Aug. 6, 1946 2,593,719 Biehl Apr. 22, 1952 

